Applying Skin Care Products: Order Matters!

Posted: 03/06/2019

What is your daily skin care regime? There’s a good chance it involves more than one product, especially if you are a woman. Skin care products are designed to work within the skin. If you are not applying your products in the correct order, you may be wasting your time and money with products that never reach your skin or can’t penetrate the skin layer they need in order to do their job. To get desired results from your skin care regime and reap the most return on your investment, pay attention to the order in which you apply them.

Know These Rules

In general, there are a few basic guidelines when it comes to the best sequence of skin care product application:

Apply products with the thinnest consistency first and end with the thickest

Use liquids before oils

Start antioxidants and serums that need deeper skin penetration and finish with moisturizers that are okay to rest on top of the skin

Example of a Daytime Skin Care Regime

As you prepare your skin for the day, you may have multiple products on the counter. Again, it matters which bottle or tube you reach for first. In general, the following order (first to last) of common facial products are an effective and strategical order for maximum benefit:

Cleansers

Toners

Antioxidant serum

Acne treatment

Moisturizer

Eye cream

Sunscreen

There’s no hard and fast rule that every complexion deserves all of these products. However, if you can adhere to the proposed order of these skin care products that you do have, you can reap the most reward.

The Role of a Dermatologist

Last but not least, don’t dismiss the importance of seeing a dermatologist to evaluate and approve your skin care regime. As board certified skin care specialists, we may be able to more effectively treat your skin concerns without the excessive use of products. Our office offers prescription topical agents as well as in-office treatments for acne, facial aging, sun damage and more. Call Olansky Dermatology in Atlanta today!

We will begin seeing patients for in office visits May 11th and will continue to offer virtual appointments and follow ups via telemedicine. We have implemented several measures to ensure the safety of our patients and staff. Please contact us today to pre-schedule an in person visit or book a virtual appointment online. We look forward to seeing you all very soon.